Is it just me (Mr Magoo) or have UK roads turned into some kind of low-budget survival game at night?

Between the ultra-white LED street lights, the blinding LED headlights on modern cars, and road markings that seem to disappear the moment it rains, I’m finding night driving way more stressful than it used to be.

I've had so many moments of near misses. It seems LED lights scatter creates hidden shadows on the road, hiding pot-holes, flooding etc.

Some roads feel like they’ve been “suggestively painted” rather than properly marked, cats’ eyes are missing in action, and half the time you’re guessing where the lane actually is. Add wet tarmac reflecting every light known to mankind and suddenly you’re driving by vibes alone.

I’m not even talking about potholes (that’s a whole other thread 👀) just visibility.
Older yellow lighting might’ve been pig ugly, but at least you could see. Now it feels brighter yet somehow worse. At least when we upgraded bulbs they worked.

So…

• Is this a real problem or am I just getting old like Mr Magoo (oldies know who he is)

• Are LED headlights actually too bright? And Streetlights too dim?

• Are road markings being maintained less than they used to be?

• Or is it just modern roads + modern cars = chaos?

• Anyone almost had an accident because of them?

Curious what everyone else thinks, drivers, bikers, night commuters, rural road warriors…
Is it better where you are, or are you also squinting into the void at 8pm? 😅

I'm now avoiding driving in winter nights.

Drop your thoughts (and rants) below 👇

I think your experience is increasingly common. The issue of blinding white LED lights has even been raised in parliament, I believe. Like you I actively avoid driving at night now.

It's certainly not helped by the lack of road markings. There is a rural road between us and our local hospital which we're using more often these days owing to old age. I can remember when it had cats eyes in addition to the white line. Now it has neither and the edges are deeply rutted caused by over-wide vehicles. When confronted by oncoming traffic with blinding lights it's completely impossible to judge one's position on the road. However, rather than spending money on painting a white line or patching up the ruts the local politicos would rather waste it on creating a completely unnecessary 20mph limit throughout our village and proposing to "remodel" a junction near our house which they perceive to be dangerous even though in the 35 years we've lived there I haven't heard of a single incident.

Talking of streetlights being too dim, the council transferred ours to a private company a few years ago. The first thing the company did was remove the only light that was over the footpath. The remainder are all buried in hedgerows on the other side of the road where there is no path. They then replaced them with very dim LED lights so now it's virtually pitch black out there.

This country is going to hell on a handcart.

We are all getting older, eyesight deteriorates with age like the rest of our bodies. This has a bigger effect at night when our pupils dilate to let in more of the available light.

Headlights are brighter. Don't look towards them, look towards the verge on the left at the limit of the area illuminated by your own lights.

Environmentally friendly streetlights are dimmer than the old ones but we do manage to drive where there are no streetlights at all.

Road markings don't seem to be of the same quality as they used to be. Some fairly new ones on an A road that I travel daily are disintegrating in the cold/wet to the point where grains of the white paint are picked up by the vehicle in front and thrown at your windscreen in wet weather. Probably some environmental rules to avoid poisoning badgers that might lick them.

Potholes full of water are very hard to see in the dark whatever you do. Road maintenance has been an area subject to "public spending cuts" for many years.

45 minutes ago, Steve said:

Is it just me (Mr Magoo) or have UK roads turned into some kind of low-budget survival game at night?

It certainly isn't, Steve. You, Mike and Paul have just about covered everything, so I won't repeat it.

My optician tells me he hears this several times daily from customers of all ages.

I agree with all of the above plus as far as I know all cars have Tinted Windscreens and that doesn't help even though there is a maximum amount of Tint.

Not that long ago Volvo would not Tint their Windscreens for safety reasons even though they did Tint the side and rear windows, very sensible although I think they do now.

Also my last car had factory fitted Privacy Glass on the sides and rear, I'm surprised I did not reversed over someone or thing and I vowed never to get a car with that again.

5 minutes ago, Tizer said:

Also my last car had factory fitted Privacy Glass on the sides and rear, I'm surprised I did not reversed over someone or thing and I vouched never to get a car with that again.

My Mk2.5 had factory fitted rear privacy glass as well. Couldn't see anything reversing it the first night I brought it home! Then found out the reverse light switch had failed (at 6 years/46k!) so the reverse light wasn't coming on. 🙄

Think we all know the single light stuck in the Mk2 bumper wasn't much use even when it was working, though I can't say I ever found it so dark I thought I was going to hit something. I actually really like rear privacy glass and it is something I specifically chose on other cars after that one. Must admit the VW privacy glass isn't as dark as the Ford glass was though. Also had parking sensors on every car since, so that further reduces the risk I guess.

2 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

I can't say I ever found it so dark I thought I was going to hit something.

It wasn't too bad in dry weather but in the wet at night with poor lighting and my age I didn't like it and wouldn't have it again.

3 hours ago, pcaouolte said:

We are all getting older, eyesight deteriorates with age like the rest of our bodies. This has a bigger effect at night when our pupils dilate to let in more of the available light.

Road markings don't seem to be of the same quality as they used to be. Some fairly new ones on an A road that I travel daily are disintegrating in the cold/wet to the point where grains of the white paint are picked up by the vehicle in front and thrown at your windscreen in wet weather. Probably some environmental rules to avoid poisoning badgers that might lick them.

Certainly eyesight does deteriorate with age. I was getting severe dazzle until about 18 months ago when I had cataract surgery in both eyes. The difference is astonishing and my night vision is miles better but the high-intensity LED headlights are still a problem and I know that's not restricted to those of my age (82 in a couple of months if you want to know). Several people I've spoken to including my son, who's 48, also complain about them.

In the case of the road I mentioned earlier the markings have been allowed to wear away completely. There's nothing left. I've raised it with my local county councillor and he's trying to get something done but I don't hold out much hope. As I said most of the councillors from parish upward seem to be more interested on wasting money on pointless and unnecessary projects.

Modern streetlights are crap, it's been discussed before :